We build networks of pattern-changing social innovators and select high-impact entrepreneurs, who creatively solve some of the worlds biggest social challenges, to become Ashoka Fellows.
Ashoka believes that there is nothing more powerful than a new idea in the hands of a social entrepreneur. Social entrepreneurs are relentless team-builders and problem-solvers who set new norms in their fields of work. They are practical visionaries – practical in that they are highly attentive to the nuts and bolts of making things work, and visionary in that they often reframe the problem, build roles for others to participate, and cast a long term view for change at least at the national level.
If you know of anyone that fits the description, do let us know by nominating that person via our website - http://usa.ashoka.org/nominate-ashoka-fellow

Cristi is supporting a new and more sustainable model of international journalism that is rooted in the perspective of local communities.

The Global Press Institute—an award-winning and high-impact social venture—uses journalism as a tool to educate, employ and empower women in the developing world to produce high-quality news that elevates global awareness and ignites social change.

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Who are you? I am a question asker. A storyteller. An advocate for truth. A determined soul.

What keeps you up at night? I toss and turn thinking about the dangerous blend of a flimsy media and a tumultuous world.

What keeps you motivated? The women of Global Press Institute are my constant inspiration. Their endless energy, passion for story and commitment to ethical, authentic journalism is invigorating. GPI was born out of my passion for journalism but has survived and thrived because there are brave, bold women all over the world who hear the call to become journalists and step forward to serve. The stories they tell have had world-changing impact. From changing minds to changing laws, the fruits of their labor are literally creating a better world. That keeps me going.

What is your big idea? I founded GPI in order to create a new way forward for the declining field of international journalism. Most newspapers have closed their foreign desks, and the few that remain are expensive to maintain and limited in their capacity to write about anything other than war, disaster, poverty, and disease.

The premise of GPI is simple: train local people—who understand the social, historical and political context of a place—to provide low-cost, high-impact news coverage for local and global audiences.

GPI focuses on women in particular, because of their traditionally marginalized status, their unique access to the untold story and because they’re less likely to flee their communities once trained. In this way, in addition to elevating global awareness, GPI uses journalism as a development tool to educate, employ, and give voice to women around the world.

At the core of the Global Press Institute is a rigorous training program that equips women with the tools and support network to produce high-quality, ethical, objective news stories suitable for the most discerning news platforms. (We have more than 50 major syndication partners.) Women who complete the training are then given jobs to pursue a range of stories, many of which shed light on important social and political issues, and most of which feature overlooked issues, angles, or perspectives. GPI is one of the world’s only truly independent media outlets and I hope it will serve as a model for others to follow.

When did you realize you had to pursue this mission? I founded GPI after working as a foreign correspondent in Nepal. I was 25 years old when I quit my job in the mainstream media to create something that most people thought was nuts! Today, seven years later, I am grateful for the naïve inspiration that propelled me to follow my dreams. I try to hold on to that part of myself that believes anything is possible.

Who has had the most influence on you and your work? Overall, I blame my determined spirit and knack for defying odds on my great aunt Pauline. Pauline was the first blind woman in the U.S. to attend university. She had a long list of other firsts too. She was a pioneer and a constant inspiration. I never once heard her say, “I can’t.”

Since founding GPI, I have been fortunate to work with some of the world’s most incredible women. Two, in particular, have had tremendous impact in shaping the organization—GPI reporter Tara Bhattarai and GPI managing editor, Maura Bogue. Tara has been with GPI since 2007. In that time she has demonstrated how completely the model can work to change the life of the reporter, the state of a country and the viewpoints of people around the world. Maura joined the team in 2011 and has helped me to cement our editorial processes and quality standards that have propelled GPI journalism to world-class status. Tara, Maura and the other 135 women of GPI influence and inspire me everyday.

When I experience failure, I always . . . Take a moment to be grateful for it. Failure plays an essential role in progress. If I am not failing, I am not trying hard enough. But, I do make it a point to never fail the same way twice.

If you could go back in time 10 years, what advice would you give yourself? If I could talk to my 22-year-old self I would tell her to practice living a balanced life. I have always prioritized my work life over my personal life—and that has proven to be a hard habit to break. I think all social entrepreneurs struggle with that.

What trait do you most admire in others? A knack for math. I always hated math in school. And it wasn’t until I began spending so much time in front of an excel spreadsheet—planning budgets and revenue forecasting—that I realized how critical it was. Over the years I have forced myself to embrace the role numbers play in my life. Still, I much prefer words!

If you could ask one thing (unrelated to fundraising) of every person reading this, what would it be? Read the GPI Newswire. When people read GPI news they realize the powerful role that human stories and authentic facts can play in shaping their view of the world. If people everywhere became more critical consumers of news then media outlets would have no choice but to elevate their commitment to quality. At GPI, we are not driven by a mindless 24-hour cycle and we put every story through a five-tier fact checking process. The result is an ethical, authentic form of journalism capable of changing the world.

Special thanks to Ryan Blitstein, the trend-spotter who brought Cristi Hegranes to Ashoka’s attention.